docs-index-keeper

name	docs-index-keeper
description	Keep a repository's Markdown docs index in sync by installing and running docs-index-keeper in pre-commit hooks, CI, or one-off maintenance flows.
license	MIT
compatibility	Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, and other Agent Skills compatible tools. Requires shell access and Node.js 18+ when installing from npm.
metadata	{"author":"Oleg Koval","package":"docs-index-keeper","tags":["docs","markdown","documentation","pre-commit","ci","index","codex","claude","cursor"]}

docs-index-keeper

Use this skill when a repository keeps documentation under docs/ and needs docs/README.md or another Markdown index table updated automatically as docs are added or changed.

When to use

Trigger this skill when the user asks for any of the following:

• keep a docs index or docs table of contents up to date
• auto-update docs/README.md when new Markdown files are added
• add a pre-commit hook for docs indexing
• enforce in CI that documentation index entries are current
• add a specific docs/*.md file into an index table

What this tool does

docs-index-keeper scans staged Markdown files, filters to a configured docs directory, and inserts missing rows into a Markdown table.

Default behavior:

• index file: docs/README.md
• docs directory: docs
• excludes: README.md, archive/
• optional warnings for root-level Markdown files

Commands:

• docs-index-keeper init
• docs-index-keeper update
• docs-index-keeper check
• docs-index-keeper add <path|mask...>

Preferred workflow

1. Confirm the repo has a docs directory and an index table such as | Doc | Purpose |.
2. Install the package if it is not already present:

npm install -D docs-index-keeper

3. Initialize the hook:

npx docs-index-keeper init

4. For CI enforcement, run:

npx docs-index-keeper check

5. For a one-off fix or scripted maintenance, use:

npx docs-index-keeper update

6. To add docs manually:

npx docs-index-keeper add docs/my-doc.md docs/plans/*.md

Config

Prefer package.json:

{
  "docsIndexKeeper": {
    "indexFile": "docs/README.md",
    "docsDir": "docs",
    "exclude": ["README.md", "archive/"],
    "allowedRootMd": ["README.md", "AGENTS.md", "CONTRIBUTING.md"],
    "warnRootMd": true
  }
}

You can also use .docs-index-keeper.json at the repo root.

Operational notes

• update works from staged files, not every file in the repo.
• check exits non-zero when staged docs would require index changes.
• The purpose column is taken from the first Markdown heading in the file when available.
• New rows are inserted before an archive sentinel row when present, otherwise at the end of the table.
• If the repo does not already have a compatible Markdown table in the configured index file, create or repair that table first.

Validation

After installing or changing config, verify with:

npx docs-index-keeper check

If you are changing the package itself, verify with:

npm run build
npm test